Ear protector



MarCh 2, 1943- R. H. sALlsBURY ET-AL 2,437,049

EAR PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 5, 1945' izo I Patented Mar. 2, 1948 EAR PROTECTOR Robert Henry Salisbury and Edward Martin Oehscr, San Diego, Calif., assignors toConsolidated VulteeAircraft Corporation, San Diego, Calif., a corporation of Delaware I Application January 5, 1945, Serial No'.:571,399

The invention relates to ear protectors.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and ecient device to be worn by workers in factories for muiiling the -noises Which are generally known to cause human fatigue.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector for this purpose which includes a cup which is adapted to enclose the bony structure in the rear of the ear which actively conducts sound and which is adapted to protect this bony' structure from high frequency sounds, such as occur in factories Where riveting is done.

Ear stopples, such as have been used, serve to damp out some of the sounds produced by riveting, but also prevent the worker from hearing the human voice.

Another object oi the invention is to provide a protector which will damp out the high frequency noises, such as produced by riveting, while still making it possible Afor the worker to hear human voices.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out by claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of an ear protector embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section of one of the ear drums.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a iibrous sound-damp- Ing element. Y

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the stiiening element between the back of the ear cup and the damping element.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the inner washer, and

Fig. 6, a perspective of the outer washer, which are used in clamping the cup to a retaining clip.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the screw for securing the clip to the cup.

Fig. 8 is a detailed section of the elastic cup.

The invention is exemplied in an ear protector which comprises a pair of cups Ill which are formed of soft or flexible rubber and are adapted to enclose a pair of human ears and to extend around the bony structure rearwardly of the ears. Each cup I0 comprises a transverse back-wall II, an integral cylindrical portion I2, and an annular bead I3 terminating in an an- 1 Claim. (Cl. 12S-152) guiar inwardly extending flange I4. The ilexii bility of the ange I4 and bead I3 permit the cup to adapt itself to the contour of the anatomy around the ear and the bony structure in the rear thereof without excessive pressure. A disc `I8 of suitable rigid material ts against the ilexible--backwa1l II of the ear cup and functions as a. stiifening. element. A disc I9 formed of any suitable. sound-damping materials, usually flbrous, is retained in the cup and against disc I3 by a. rib 20 which extends inwardly from and is integral with the cylindrical rim portion I2 of the cup. The cups are yieldingly held around the ears by a holder which is formed of a resilient strip of metal and comprises a curved portion 22 adapted to fit around the head, angular outward bends 23, and integral terminals 24. The portion 22 of the head-piece is preferably provided with a suitable protective covering 25 of soft material, such as leather. Each cup is slidably connected to one of the terminals 24 of the head-piece by a clip 26 which ts around the terminal, is frictionally held thereon by a resilient tongue 21, and is connected to the cup.

Each clip is provided with an offset extension or ear 28. The clip is connected to the cup by a screw 29 which extends through an outer cupshaped washer 30 and is threaded to an inner cup-shaped washer 3I. The back-wall Il of the cup is provided on its back face with an integral projecting portion 32 around which the flange of washer 30 fits and with an annular groove 33 on its inner face into which the flange of the inner washer 3| ilts. This provides a flexible connection between the clip 26 and the cup which permits the cup to angularly position itself to conform to the contour of the surfaces of the head around the ear.

The invention exempliiies an ear protector which is adapted to damp out high frequencies of sound by covering the entire ear and the bony structure to the rear thereof, which is simple in construction and which does not prevent the wearer from hearing spoken sounds so that the protector has a much higher safety factor than ear stopples placed in the outer ear cavities which areunsanitary and blank out all sounds.

The back Il, cylindrical portion or rim I2, and the projection for the outer washer are integrally formed of relatively soft rubber or other elastic material and the cup will be light in weight. The stiening and damping disks are removably held in the cup by the rib L2Il of elastic material. The washers, back and screw provide a simple flexible connection between the cup with the stiffening plate therein and the supporting clip.

The device in its entirety is simple in construction, light in weight, composed of separable parts, and ecient in operation.

The invention is not to be understood as 11m- 3 ited to the details described since these may be modied within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we regard as new and desire to claim by Letters Patent is:

An earproteetor comprising, a cup of relatively thin elastic material, with a substantially at back-wall and an integral annular rim adapted to extend around the ear and the bony `structure thereof, a supporting device, means, includ-V ing cup-shaped washers ,of diierent diameters and engaging the opposite-faces of saidback wall and a screw, for clamping-the lwashersragainst the central portion of the elastic back-wall and connecting said portion ofz the back-wall to the device, with the circumferentially outward portion of the back-wall free'to be ilexed an'gularll7 relatively to its central portion, a substantially vflat stiffening :platehaving one ,of its Vfaces tsubstantially-flat sound-,darnping disk tting against the other face of the plate, and an annular member in the annular rim, for removably confining the plate and disk between the backwall and said member and in outwardly spaced relation from the free end of the rim.

ROBERT HENRY SALISBURY. EDWARD MA1-:MEIN OEHSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED -STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Y A 2,215,198 'Slbert Sept. 17, 1940 997,673 Hegge July 11, 1911 1,683,928 Smyth Sept. 11, 1928 2,345,842 Valentine Apr. 4, 1944 1,312,493 Theis Aug. 5, 1919 2,120,231 n Cover June 14, 1938 FQREIGN .PATENTS Number Country Date 329,373 Germany Nov. 20, 192D 

